The Minister of Tourism for Haiti, Maryse Penette, is working to encourage joint tourism policies between the two countries sharing this island of Hispaniola. In a press interview with Hoy, the Minister explained she is now working on a course that will allow Haiti to follow in the footsteps of the booming tourist industry in the Dominican Republic.
Penette said that “modern Dominicans and Haitians want economic development, to live in peace, and that the whole island should be one important center of tourism in the Caribbean.” She said that a highway will be built between Cap Haitien and the Dominican town of Dajabon and that the customs services on the frontier will be more efficient in the future.
She explained that there are only 800 suitable rooms in Haiti, and that it is only now that tourist areas are beginning to organize themselves. But she says the government has the will and in the next few years intends to convert the country into an important tourist destination.
She would like to exploit the potential of offering visitors a stay in the two countries on one island. She feels that the two countries should not compete but rather they should complement each other. She mentioned that President Rene Preval has a modern vision of the Haitian state and that the provision of international credit will assist in the attraction of foreign investment.